After a marathon discussion and deliberation in its Extraordinary Emergency Federal Assembly meeting held outside its vandalised Naga Club building, the Naga Students’ Federation considering the appeal of the Angami Public Organization and Kohima Village Council has decided to withdraw the FIR against ‘unknown miscreants’.
In the assembly, NSF, after due consultations with the seniors and its federating units and sub-ordinate bodies, adopted a four-point resolution.

1. The federation will withdraw the FIR with immediate effect.

2. The federation will continue to not recognise the present Naga Club.

3. The federation leave the matter to the best wisdom of the Nagas and the APO as the messenger of peace to uphold the legacy of the Naga club and bring the Naga people together in the true spirit of the memorandum submitted to the Simon commission by the Naga Club in 1929.

4. NSF and All Nagaland College Students’ Union to resume offices in the vandalised building from 14 June 2023, Wednesday.

The apex students’ body has asserted that its decisions were not to be taken as signs of weakness and that it was upholding the resolution adopted at the Emergency Senior Consultative Meeting held on 30 May 2023.
In a statement signed by President Kegwayhun Tep and General Secretary Siipuni Ng Philo, NSF stated that amid the “continued peddling of ‘Half truth and Half lies’ to mislead the Naga people and polarize their thoughts”, the federation is compelled “to put on record some relevant historical truth for the consumption of the Naga people.”

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(Following are the events leading to the vandalization of the Naga Club building on 27 May 2023 as mentioned by the NSF in its statement dated 13 June 2023 with minor edits)

a) It was on 31st October 1974 Vilalhoulie Angami, Retd. Deputy SP wrote to the president of NSF explaining about the genesis and the subsequent disappearance of the Naga Club while also requesting everyone that the NSF take over the charge of the Naga Students’ Federation cum Naga Club for the welfare of the Nagas.

b) On 7th January 1982, a meeting was held at Kohima Village Panchayat Hall wherein the Naga Club was revamped with Azuto Rengma as its president.

c) In 1983, Late Vizolie Sorhie, the then president of NSF and his general secretary, Imkong L Imchen among other officials were approached by the Naga Club office bearers and Naga Elders Conference to reclaim the Naga Club building which was earlier occupied by the Forest Department and vacated by then. It should be noted that even after shifting their office, the department kept the building locked and never handed over the keys to the Naga Club. Many more efforts were made to reclaim the Naga Club building in the most appropriate manner but
the government refused to cooperate.

Subsequently, NSF led by president Late. Vizolie Sorhie, Late Machimvu Rise, finance secretary, Neingulo Krome, member of action committee, NSF and Kewezu G Kenye, president ANCSU went and broke the lock and occupied the Naga Club Building. Following which Neivor Rutsa volunteered his vehicle bearing Registration No. NLT-309 to assist in shifting the NSF office to Naga Club.

Later on, rooms were also provided for ANCSU, Naga Elders Conference and gradually office of the Oking Times and also the Naga Mothers’ Association.

d) When the rent for the month of April 1983 was paid and received by the then GS of the then Naga Club, Late Vilavor Liegese, it was clearly mentioned as “with the Good consent of Mutual understanding’ which was to facilitate and legitimize that ‘Naga Club’ was the owner of the same building which at that point in time was also being claimed by another group of individuals in the name of another Naga Club, and the dispute matter was lying under the court of DC, Kohima for hearing. And this receipt of Rs. 500 for the month of April 1983 paid by NSF became evident of proof and the court ruled in favour of the Naga Club, which was never ever contested again. Otherwise, there was “mutual understanding’ that the building will always belong to Naga Club and NSF will only be the guardian and custodian of the building according to demands of situations.

And ever since the building was taken over in April 1983, NSF did all repair and renovation works of the building and its premises, including additional construction which still stands majestically, despite its agedness.

e) On 22 June 1983, A Kevichusa gave a statement about how, when, who and for whom the Naga Club building was constructed. In it, it was clearly stated that the ‘The building was not constructed for any particular person. It does not belong to the Angamis in particular. Neither does it belong exclusively to the Kohima people nor to the Christians. It belongs to the Naga people as a whole.’

f) On 27 May 1984, 12 individuals claiming to be of the descendants of donors of the Naga club building wrote to the DC, Kohima requesting for an eviction order against the “self style Secretary’ of the then mandated Naga club and the Naga students Federation claiming that they are the original Naga club.

g) On 17 July 1984, DC Kohima Convened a meeting of the prominent Naga leaders in Kohima for a meeting to discuss issues relating to Naga Club on 17th August 1984.

h) On 17 August 1984, DC Kohima, S Lima Aier ‘dissolved the two parallel Naga club organizations with the condition that “the Naga club will be reorganized giving wide publicity to all tribes of Nagas and wide publicity to all the tribes of Nagas and sub-committee was appointed with Wezhuli Krome as convenor. It was clearly stated in the order that the re-organization should be completed by 17th September 1984.

i) On 26 October 1984, the committee constituted by the DC kohima had a meeting and resolved the following:

i. That, the office bearers of the Naga Club duly elected on 7th January, 1982 was re-elected and shall be legitimate recognized body.

ii. That, the tenure of the office shall be 3 (three) calendar years.

iii. That, in addition to the existing office bearers, 7 (Seven) Joint secretaries, each representing one district of Nagaland shall man the office of the Naga club.

j) With regards to the proposed Building Project, a “Seniors’ Conclave” was convened by NSF on 21.11.2015 at the De Oriental Hotel, Kohima, which constituted a 5-Member Committee, with Neivor Rutsa as Convenor, and Lhouvitsü, Yesonyu Veyie, Zaku Tsükrü and Z Lohe. This committee as entrusted pursued the plot related issue and in its first meeting held on 06.12.2015 at the residence of Z. Lohe and decided that the plot is free from all encumbrances and therefore the NSF may go ahead with the Building Project which will house all the Apex Naga organizations under one roof and also provide for the livelihood of the surviving members of the then Naga Club. This was not even in the thought of any other individuals at that point of time.

k) It was on 15 July 2017, that the decision was taken to make plans to celebrate 100th Year of Naga Club at the NSF senior consultative Meeting held at Japfü hotel.

l) On 5th October 2017, the Executive Council NSF set up a 15 members Naga Club Building
Committee with Nivor Rutsa as the convenor of the committee.

m) On 9 December 2017, the Federal Assembly held at Mokokchung village hosted by AKM reaffirmed the decision to celebrate the 100th Year of Naga Club and endorsed the then executive council to constitute a committee for the same.

n) On 29th June 2018, a 15 Member organizing Committee for ‘100 Year of Naga Club’ was constituted by the NSF Executive.

0) On 21st November 2018, a public declaration was made by 11 concerned ‘senior individuals not representing any organization or body’ after a marathon meeting held at De Oriental Hotel, Kohima wherein it was clearly stated that ‘to undertake all future developments taking the Naga public, especially the NSF, a major stakeholder, into confidence always’. However, to the dismay of NSF, the same was not honoured by the Naga Club.

p) As the NSF launched the celebration of its 75 years of existence under the theme ‘Call to Oneness’ for all Nagas to come together, this same Naga Club issued notice to vacate the Naga Club building in toto on or before the 27th of August 2022.

q) This time around, as the NSF was preparing to hold its General Conference, its office was vandalized, documents destroyed, and its office materials such as computers, furniture, gadgets etc, all damaged.

r) On December 13, 2022: Daniel Shiu, A Burma Naga brought to public domain, a document entitled “The paradox of the Naga Club then and now’ wherein it was written “Therefore, going by the Lakhuti resolution of 1955 of the mandated Naga national organization i.e., NNC, the Naga Club of today should be branded as unlawful and treacherous’.

In the statement, NSF also affirmed that it will remain ‘steadfast in upholding the interests of the Naga youths and all Nagas in general guided by the fundamental principles that are clearly enshrined in its constitution for Unified Lim and Glory of Nagas.

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